BULLS NOTES.

Fans not sold (out) on team

3 years of futility leads to sagging sale of tickets

In some ways, not much has changed since the Bulls last failed to sell out a home opener.

Michael Jordan is still scoring 20 points a game and Charles Oakley is still hitting double figures in rebounds.

Ah, forget that lame attempt. Everything has changed.

Jordan is scoring his points for the Washington Wizards, Oakley is 37 and not 22 and the Bulls have barely won more games in the last three seasons combined than they did when they finished 40-42 in 1986-87.

That season's opener drew just 12,282 to the old Chicago Stadium. Jordan scored 34 points and Oakley grabbed 15 rebounds in a 111-104 victory over San Antonio.

An announced crowd of 18,163 attended Wednesday's United Center opener against Indiana, below the sellout figure of 21,711. Last season the Bulls' vaunted home sellout streak of 610 games--third-longest in NBA history--ended. And now this.

"It doesn't come as any surprise," said Steve Schanwald, the Bulls' executive vice president for business operations. "The last three years our record is 45-169. Eventually that's going to catch up to you."

Schanwald confirmed the Bulls' season-ticket base has dropped from last season's total of 16,500 but wouldn't say how far. That the Bulls are still offering full and 11-game season-ticket packages gives an idea, though.

"It's still one of the highest season-ticket bases in the league," Schanwald said. "And we'll still sell out a number of our games and have an average attendance that will be among the highest in the league."

That's as much the result of the United Center's large capacity as the product, of course. And that product became one based more on the future than the present when Elton Brand was traded for Tyson Chandler.

Chandler and fellow rookie Eddy Curry are curiosity pieces, if nothing else, and could help attendance. But coach Tim Floyd has made it clear he won't play them merely to play them.

"There are going to be a lot of different trains of thought as to what should happen this year," Floyd said. "But I have to give our guys a chance to win here initially."

Eddie Robinson has worn Air Jordans on his feet his entire career. He switched this preseason when Reebok sent him some shoes in the hopes of possibly reaching an endorsement deal.

Robinson is on the injured list with a sesamoid fracture of his big left toe. The injury is an old fracture, which had never affected Robinson before. Coincidence?

"I thought about that," Robinson said. "I'm going back to Air Jordans."

If Robinson only misses five games, as is a possibility, Game No. 6 is against his former Charlotte team.

Big challenge: Robinson's injury forced shooting guard Ron Mercer to start at small forward against Jalen Rose, to whom he gave up an inch and five pounds.

"I'm glad I worked on my body and got a little bigger," Mercer said. "Last year I was playing at 210 [pounds]. Now I'm up to 220. Hopefully that will help me, because I'm going to have to guard bigger guys."

Layups: A pregame ceremony featured a touching speech from Oakley and a tribute to Chicago-area firefighters. ... Kevin Ollie's locker has been moved from its preseason location. "They told me I had been in Michael's," Ollie said, smiling. Jordan's former locker is now empty. ... Curry, a Calumet City native, purchased 26 extra tickets over the four free ones he receives. Curry also sported a new tattoo for his son, Eddy III, born on Labor Day. It reads, "Golden Child."